Guardiola apologised for dressing-room brawl after 2017 derby win but refused to take blame

Pep Guardiola apologised after Manchester City’s December 2017 derby win at Old Trafford triggered a dressing-room brawl involving up to 20 players and staff — but the then-City manager stopped well short of accepting responsibility for starting it.

Nicolas Otamendi’s winner that afternoon extended City’s lead at the top of the Premier League to 11 points over their rivals. The celebrations that followed in the away dressing room enraged José Mourinho, who felt they had gone too far. Mourinho had milk thrown at him, while Mikel Arteta — then part of Guardiola’s coaching staff — was cut by a drinks container during the post-match chaos.

Guardiola addressed the incident directly, saying: “We have to enjoy those moments. If the people cannot understand that then I’m sorry. We won a derby. If we were not correct then I apologise to all of Manchester United. Our intentions was not that. It was to celebrate inside the locker room.”

Mourinho, characteristically, kept his response brief two days later when the subject came up at his pre-Bournemouth press conference. “He says, he says. I’m not here to comment on his words,” the Portuguese manager said. “The only thing I can say is that for me it was just a question of diversity — diversity in behaviours, diversity in education, just that and nothing more than that.”

The episode is one of the more colourful chapters in a fixture long defined by needle and incident. It resurfaces this week as Manchester City, now managed by Enzo Maresca following Guardiola’s departure, prepare to face United on Sunday in the first Manchester derby of the season.

United head into the game with recent bragging rights intact. Michael Carrick’s side won the corresponding fixture 2-0 at Old Trafford last time out, with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu helping them finish third at the end of the 2025/26 season.